The protein kinases represent a large family of proteins, which play a central role in the regulation of a wide variety of cellular processes and maintaining control over cellular function. Aberrant kinase activity has been observed in many disease states including benign and malignant proliferative disorders as well as diseases resulting from inappropriate activation of the immune and nervous systems.
The Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK signaling pathway transmits signals from cell surface receptors to the nucleus and is essential for cell proliferation and survival. Since 10-20% of human cancers harbor oncogenic Ras mutation and many human cancers have activated growth factor receptors, this pathway is an ideal target for intervention.
The Raf family of serine/threonine kinases include three members: C-Raf (or Raf-1), B-Raf and A-Raf. Activating alleles of B-Raf have been identified in ˜70% of melanomas, 40% of papillary thyroid carcinoma, 30% of ovarian low-grade carcinoma, and 10% of colorectal cancers. Most B-Raf mutations are found within the kinase domain, with a single substitution (V600E) accounting for 80%. The mutated B-Raf proteins activate Raf-MEK-ERK pathway either via elevated kinase activity toward MEK or via activating C-Raf. The B-Raf inhibitor in the present combination therapy inhibits cellular processes involving B-Raf kinase by blocking the signal cascade in these cancer cells and ultimately inducing stasis and/or death of the cells.
Reversible acetylation of histones is a major regulator of gene expression that acts by altering accessibility of transcription factors to DNA. In normal cells, histone deacetylase (HDA) and histone acetyltrasferase together control the level of acetylation of histones to maintain a balance. Inhibition of HDA results in the accumulation of hyperacetylated histones, which results in a variety of cellular responses. Histone deacetylase inhibitors have been studied for their therapeutic effects on cancer cells. Recent developments in the field of histone deacetylase inhibitor research have provided active compounds, both highly efficacious and stable, that are suitable for treating proliferative diseases.
The present invention is based on the discovery that the cell cycle inhibition and apoptosis resulting from B-Raf inhibition is enhanced if treatment with the B-Raf inhibitor is combined with treatment with a histone deacetylase inhibitor. The histone deacetylase inhibitor sensitizes melanoma cells to B-Raf induced death, even in cells with previously acquired resistance to B-Raf inhibitors.